Sunday 27th October

After yesterday's stormy deluge, today by complete contrast was calm and sunny. Taking advantage of the benign spell, 'vis-mig' resumed with 515 Woodpigeon with 20 Stock Dove mixed in; and some counts that also include grounded migrants, 27 Skylark, 13 Jackdaw, 11 alba wagtail, ten Meadow Pipit, nine Chaffinch, a flock of eight Lesser Redpoll, eight Bullfinch, five Siskin, three Lesser Black-backed Gull (flew S), a Rook, a Redwing, and also overhead four Raven passed through and a Buzzard circuited the site.  Mixed flocks of 65 Goldfinch and 39 Greenfinch foraged on Evening-primrose heads.  On scrub, edge habitats and grasslands, six Stonechat, four Cirl Bunting, two Song Thrush, two Reed Bunting and a late Wheatear.  The usual Sparrowhawk and Kestrel were present. In the woodlands and sallows, the flock of nine Long-tailed Tit and mixed tits carried three Goldcrest and two Chiffchaff (one singing in the sunshine) and elsewhere a Blackcap.

Too few birders on site today to cover all areas and the high tide period was missed, instead 610 Herring Gull and 135 Black-headed Gull, as well as lots of Brent Goose, Wigeon and waders were seen foraging at low tide on the mudflats, along creeks and offshore sandbars, where also a Carrion Crow was observed to repeatedly forage for mussels, commute with prey to Warren Point and cache each item by digging holes in the sand and covering over, or covering the item with a pile of seaweed. 

Eider (Alan Keatley)

Offshore was uneventful with seven Common Scoter, three Eider, including an adult male, and a diver sp.  The Scandinavian Rock Pipit was again present around the rocks, Go-Kart and promenade area.  Details are that is was ringed on 6th March 2019 on Giske, Møre & Romsdal, Norway, 1,440 km NNE; yesterday was its first recovery.